


everything stays

by mytsukkishine



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Confused Tsukki, Drama & Romance, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Romance, False Memories, Kuroo Tetsurou is a Good Friend, M/M, Minor Kozume Kenma/Yamamoto Taketora, Parallel Universes, Sort Of, Tsukishima Kei is Bad at Feelings, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:08:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26580391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mytsukkishine/pseuds/mytsukkishine
Summary: Waking up to a different place was confusing enough- but what if, after getting hit in the face, Kei woke up and was apparently a student from Nekoma High School.Confused and refusing to accept that this might be his real reality- and that Karasuno and his life in Miyagi didn't exist. He tried to look for someone who'll believe him. Anyone, just to keep him sane.And then there's the Nekoma captain- Kuroo Tetsurou.
Relationships: Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei
Comments: 9
Kudos: 138
Collections: Luna & Noir: KuroTsuki Fest 2020





	everything stays

**Author's Note:**

> confusing summary? soryy!  
> this is from prompt #30  
> Parallel AU : When Tsukishima was hit in the head with a ball and woke up just to find he was a first year at Nekoma
> 
> It's been a while since i've written anything for this couple- but i am so happy i did! please enjoy!
> 
> any mistakes are on my own.

The moment Kei fluttered his eyes open, he was greeted by the mild stench of bleach and alcohol. He blinked, tried to see through his blurry vision as his hazy mind tried to remember where he was and why he was on a bed. 

He then took notice of the rows of bed beside him, all unoccupied and clean. When his eyes landed on the window nearby and saw other students walking, he confirmed that he’s at the infirmary. 

And oh, he remembered being hit right in the face with a volleyball, by Hinata. 

Letting out a groan, Kei tried his best to sit up but failed as soon as his blurry vision started spinning for the lack of glasses.

Speaking of glasses, Kei squinted his eyes as he turned his head to the mini-nightstand beside, and amidst his unclear vision, Kei easily spotted his glasses among the various stuff that laid beside it. With long pale fingers, he grabbed his glasses, at the same time, he heard the door to the infirmary open, and amidst the blurry vision, he easily spotted his glasses among the various things laid beside it. Long and pale fingers reached out to grab for his glasses, at the same time, the door to the infirmary opened. 

Kei gently wore his glasses and blinked Kei blinked as he waited for his vision to adjust, but was utterly taken aback when the first person who greeted him was someone he didn’t expect.

“Wha…” Kei’s voice died down, mouth slacked open as his brother gave him a sigh of relief. 

Kei knew he got hit pretty hard on the head and had no idea how long he had been unconscious but what he’s clearly aware of was that his brother, who stood in front of him smiling goofily, lived an hour away from Miyagi. 

Akiteru should be in Sendai, what was he doing here?

“How are you feeling, Kei?” Akiteru asked, voice laced with worry, “I came here as soon as the clinic called me.”

“As soon?” Kei questioned dumbly as he tried to sit up, this time with the help of his brother. Once done, Akiteru started to pile up some pillows near his back and side while Kei could only watch silently- his mind running wild. 

The last time Kei was at the infirmary with the immediate need to go home was when he was in middle school, and it’s always his mother who would pick him up. Needless to say, Akiteru showing up was a big surprise and as much as Kei hated to admit it, he kind of felt flattered at the thought of his brother driving all the way from Sendai to Miyagi. 

“Yes, as soon as possible. I mean why wouldn’t I?” Akiteru gave him a confused look, brows raised in disbelief, “You were spiked in the face! I promised mom to take care of you and oh god, what would she think about this?”

As Akiteru continued to ramble away, Kei finally got a clear view of his brother’s appearance. He looked like he had left in the middle of a meeting. His suit was a little off, hair a little disheveled as if he had just ran all the way here. 

Did he?

Kei released a sigh after once he felt a heading budding. He decided he shouldn’t question Akiteru anymore because his brother did make an effort to pick him up- might as well thank him for that. 

Kei opened his mouth, about to say his appreciation when something caught his gaze. Slowly, the youngest looked down, raised his eyebrow in the process as he tried to think when his jersey changed. He knew before the incident he was adorning his usual Karasuno practice jersey - a yellow sleeveless jersey with a white shirt underneath. 

However, this time he wore a black shirt and blue jersey. 

“Are you okay? Does your head still hurt?”

“Why are you here?” Kei managed to ask amidst the confusion he was experiencing. He searched his brother’s eyes in hopes of finding some answers to what the hell was happening, “and why am I wearing this jersey

?”

“Shit, Kei! I’m getting more anxious. We’re going to the hospital right now.”

“No! I—why am I wearing this uniform?! Did you change my clothes? And—and why are you here?!” Kei was starting to panic, eyes wide and almost leaned too far from the bed if it wasn’t for Akiteru’s hand on his chest stopping his fall. 

“Kei,” Akiteru called, and somehow, just hearing his big brother’s voice calmed him. The youngest slumped back on the bed and accepted how Akiteru ran his hand gently through his gold locks. 

“Let’s all calm down okay? Tell me, what do you remember?” Uneasiness rose up once more within the pit of Kei’s stomach. Akiteru looked serious and confused that Kei was starting to think his brother wasn’t playing mind tricks on him because when Kei said the reason why he’s at the infirmary, Akiteru suddenly looked so puzzled. 

“I was… hit with a ball because Hinata was being careless…”

“Hinata? Who’s Hinata?”

“What? My...”

“Excuse me,” Kei jerked a little, both siblings' eyes averted to the door where a newcomer entered with a smile printed on his annoying face. He wore a red jersey jacket and shorts. He was tall, smiling warmly at them, and his hair- Kei eyed it carefully - his hair looked weird. 

He looked oddly familiar, Kei thought as his eyes remained glued to the person walking towards them. 

Akiteru was the first one to break the silence. His big brother beamed the newcomer a smile, greeting him as if he knew him for a long time, “Kuroo-kun! Nice to see you.”

For a moment, Kei felt like they’re hiding something, but quickly ignored his theory when this ‘Kuroo-kun’ bowed towards them respectfully.

“Hello, Tsukishima-san,” Kuroo smiled and gave them a small wave. His almond eyes then landed on Kei, gazing at him that made Kei all nervous. 

This Kuroo looked so familiar, Kei just couldn’t pinpoint where he had seen him. 

“And oh, I’m so glad our middle blocker is awake.” 

And then something in Kei clicked. Oh heavens, he knew that red jacket all too well, and that sly smirk he wanted to wipe off so bad. 

“Nekoma…” Kei murmured under his breath, wide eyes staring shamelessly at the Nekoma Captain as if he had just grown another head from that gravity-defying hair of his. 

The said Nekoma captain beamed at him, one hand coming up to rub the back of his head as he cautiously walked up to the foot of Kei’s bed, “Yes, Tsukki. How’s your head by the way?”

“Where am I?” Kei blurted out, not caring if he sounded rude or that he just plainly ignored Kuroo’s question. 

It couldn’t be, right? First, it was Akiteru, and now it’s the captain of Nekoma High—who, Kei was one hundred percent sure, at Tokyo. 

Two hours away from Miyagi. 

_ Why was he here? _

The Nekoma Captain spoke again, face printed with worry as he walked closer to the blond, “Do you feel unwell?” Kuroo asked as he reached a hand forward but Kei quickly leaned back, avoided the oncoming gesture, and gave Kuroo the meanest glare his dizzy state could give off.

Not even Hinata or Kageyama dared to go near him.

“Can someone please answer me first? Where am I?”

“You’re at Nekoma High,” Kuroo answered timidly, his hands at his sides, but his worried eyes were still locked on Kei.

“What do you mean Nekoma High? In Tokyo? You mean, I’m all the way at Tokyo for a- for getting hit in the face?”

Akiteru decided it was now his time to interfere. His big brother stepped in between Kuroo and Kei, blocking him from the Nekoma captain that bore an unreadable expression. 

“Kei, calm down,” Akiteru spoke gently, smiling softly at him as if everything made sense. 

Kei couldn’t just calm down. He’s starting to panic, his head getting dizzier by the second because it just didn’t make sense on why he was at Nekoma- and that he was wearing their jersey.

Fairly, everything seemed to be like a prank, a misunderstanding Kei wasn’t liking- especially if his brother was involved in all of these. 

However, the two of them looked too serious. 

Kei finally glanced at his brother once more, taking in a deep breath as he tried to calm himself with the thought of his brother’s presence. 

“Okay, I’m calm.” Kei started and bit his lower lip, “Just tell me, why are we at Nekoma High?” he questioned, tone serious as his pleading eyes went back and forth to Kuroo and Akiteru, who looked as helpless as he was. 

It made Kei’s stomach churn. 

“Kei, I - let’s go, we need to go to a hospital—” 

“Answer me first… please.” Kei kind of hated how vulnerable he just sounded, but he couldn’t help it. 

Akiteru frowned before sighing.

Kuroo though, gave him a sympathetic look as he patted Akiteru’s back. “Tsukishima-san…” 

“It’s okay, Kuroo, you may leave us.” Akiteru gave Kuroo a smile and the Nekoma captain nodded. He glanced back at Kei one more time before exiting, closing the door gently behind him. 

It was now him and his big brother. Kei pursed his lips, waited patiently as his brother seemed to think for a moment before he leaned down, landing his hand on Kei’s shoulder. Akiteru smiled softly, gave his shoulder a light squeeze as if saying that Akiteru was here with him, and that everything that’s happening  _ was real.  _

“You’re studying here, Kei. We live here in Tokyo, don’t you remember?”

Needless to say, he vomited afterward.

~~☾~~

If this was some sort of prank someone stupid enough to pull on him, Kei sweat to the heavens whoever it did it would experience the real wrath of having a volleyball spiked on their face. However, the moment he walked out of the clinic, his world suddenly went down because he was sure this wasn’t Karasuno High School.

Kei snapped his head to the left, saw the buildings were all different, from the structure and the paint. Trees littered everywhere, but the thing that stood out the most was the ‘Go Nekoma’ banner that glared down at him, as if slapping him awake- that everything  _ is _ real.

“Kei?”

He averted his eyes back to his big brother, his mouth still open in disbelief. Akiteru raised a brow at him before reaching out to grab at his arm. Kei let Akiteru drag him like a dumbfounded kid towards the exit gates. They passed by the gym and saw Kuroo outside with someone Kei swore he saw before but just couldn’t remember his name. 

Kuroo held out an unfamiliar bag once they neared. “Here you go, this is all his stuff,” He said and Akiteru took it with a thank you. Kuroo smiled and bowed before turning to look at Kei, who was rudely staring at the other student next to Kuroo. 

Kuroo chuckled and must’ve noticed his staring so Kei averted his gaze anywhere, pouting a little. 

Kei then heard Akiteru release a sigh beside him. 

“This is Kenma, our setter.” Kuroo interjected and Kei quickly raised his head up to look at Kuroo, and then to Kenma. 

Oh, right. His name was Kenma. 

Kuroo patted the small setter’s back, “You remember him?”

“Hm…”

“Kuroo-kun, Kenma-kun, thank you so much once again for bringing in Kei’s stuff.” Akiteru interrupted and gave the two students a light bow, “But i’m sorry, Kei’’s really worrying me right now so I need to bring him to the hospital, and hopefully-” Akiteru paused and gave Kei a playful glare, “Kei is just playing tricks on us so he can skip practice.” 

Kei was quite offended and surprised at the statement, and all he could do was to stare at his brother with wide eyes- completely shocked at how different this Akiteru’s attitude was. 

Was he even his brother? Was he abducted by aliens or something?

After a few small talks between Akiteru and Kuroo, with Kei standing stupidly at the side while looking everywhere- he then found himself staring outside the car window as they passed by houses and buildings with bright lights.

There weren’t many trees in sight, unlike in Miyagi.

Kei sighed. Being at Nekoma High wasn’t the only thing bizarre in this situation, it was also the fact that when he asked his brother if they ever lived in Miyagi, he plainly answered no. 

Akiteru asked him after what’s up with Miyagi, but Kei just shook his head and continued to look outside until they finally arrived at the hospital. 

Kei’s very aware that his brother kept giving him worried looks as the doctor examined his vitals. To be honest, he was also nervous. His hands felt clammy, his right leg kept bouncing, and his mind kept wandering off at the idea of all of this. 

What if he really did live in Tokyo, and that he had somehow forgotten?

But it couldn’t be. He was only hit on the head with a  _ freaking _ volleyball, not a car. 

Plus, his memory about his team, Karasuno, his friend Yamaguchi, and all his childhood moments in Miyagi were all real. Kei was sure of it. 

Akiteru called his mother after- who was surprisingly at Sendai where she actually lives permanently. She was worried, typical of her, and requested for Kei to have a CT-Scan just so it could ease her mind. Kei followed her orders, not wanting to stress her further. After a few more hours, and one last trip to the doctor’s office- Kei was once again at the passenger seat next to Akiteru.

Tall buildings and colorful billboards greeted Kei once more. Some were even huge screens that played some sort of advertisement. It’s crazy looking at everything- so new and unbelievable for Kei. 

But he was still hoping to wake up from all of these, expecting that he’d still be at the infirmary- however, that thought seemed to be too hard to push back since he had his school ID clutched in his hand. A vibrant red with the bold lettering of Nekoma flashed before him with his picture below.

It seemed like he’s still a first-year, his family was still the same, but the other stuff didn’t make sense. 

It made his head dizzier. 

Luckily, the doctor found nothing wrong with his CT-scan- no brain damage or anything. His brother did ask why Kei couldn’t remember anything, but the doctor said it might be from a mild concussion and that his memories might return after a few days. 

Kei didn't buy it.

He firmly believes that this was a dream and he couldn’t wait to freaking wake up.

~~☾~~

“Eat up.” Akiteru motioned for the pancakes on the table as he put down a glass of orange juice for Kei. 

The teenager just woke up half an hour ago, expecting that everything would go back to normal, however, as soon as his lashes fluttered open, he was still in his so-called ‘room’.

The room he has looked exactly like the one he had back in Miyagi- no wait, the whole house looked the same except that it’s located in Tokyo. And of course, his mom was in Sendai, and that he’s living with Akiteru. 

Kei sat at the dining table, staring at his food mindlessly, not even noticing Akiteru’s eyes on him as his big brother took a seat in front of him. 

At this point, Kei was starting to feel scared because what if all that happened to him since childhood was a lie? What if he really wasn’t from Miyagi?

But why couldn’t he remember anything from Tokyo? 

“Kei.”

The young blond jumped up a little as the loud voice of his brother echoed. Akiteru just sighed as his hand pushed the plate full of pancakes towards Kei while his other made a grab for his phone. 

“Do you want to skip class?”

Kei blinked dumbly, his golden-brown orbs landing on Akiteru. 

“Until you’re feeling fine,” Akiteru grinned as he tapped away on his phone before putting it near his ear. Akiteru was calling Nekoma High, reasoning out that Kei wasn’t feeling well, and that it may take a few days for him to return. 

When Akiteru was down, he beamed his little another smile then proceeded to take a piece of pancake. “At least eat, Kei.”

“Okay…”

Later at noon, as Kei laid alone on the sofa with his gaze turned to the window, watching the busy street outside. Cars, people walking their dogs, and neighbors talking to one another welcomed him- overwhelming him a little. 

Everything was so much different from the one he’s used to. 

With a sigh, Kei raised his hand and glared at his phone. Again, it’s the same one he has- same background, same contents, same applications. The only difference was instead of his usual contacts like Daichi-san or Coach Ukai, it held contact numbers of people Kei wasn’t familiar with. Except for four people. His mom and brother, and then Kuroo and Kenma. 

Kei was skeptical, wondering if he really was friends with them, but before he could put down his phone, it suddenly rang and the name ‘Kuroo-san’ flashed on his screen. 

Panic started to rise within him, contemplating whether he should answer or not because one, what would he say? And two, why was he calling?

Fortunately, the call was cut off but seconds later, a new message appeared. 

It’s Kuroo-san.

_ I heard from the coach you’ll be absent, feelin’ okay? Don’t hesitate to contact us anytime, k? _

__

Was this Kuroo-san always this nice? Kei wasn't even sure if they were close but based on his text message, he’s talking like they were. 

With a pout, Kei closed his phone and decided to hit the kitchen to see if he could find anything edible. 

Sadly, their fridge was as empty as his stomach. He called Akiteru, asked him why he didn’t tell him the fridge was lacking contents and his big brother just apologized sheepishly- reasoning out to him that he forgot to get groceries. 

“I don’t have money.”

“I’ll let you open my virtual account, use it.”

Okay, needless to say, grocery shopping is an easy task for a high school student, right? Plus, he’d get to use his big brother’s card however he wanted. 

However. 

Kei glanced down at his phone with an irritated look. He had been for half an hour with three heavy bags of groceries hanging from his arms with a dying phone in his hand. Great, just great. Since he didn’t know yet the ways around here, he used his phone earlier as a guide but for some reason, when he was done shopping, his phone decided that it’s the right time to die, and Kei found himself standing outside a shop he wasn’t familiar with. 

What irked him more was that he couldn’t remember which way he walked. Kei should’ve memorized the streets he went to but it appeared like his brain was malfunctioning containing memories at the moment. 

Kei sighed. He’s moneyless, phoneless, and hungry.

Was this some kind of punishment for getting hit on the face?

“Hey!” Kei felt his heart drop at the sudden voice and he quickly looked behind him, only to frown after once his eyes landed on Kuroo and Kenma. 

“Tsukki!” Kuroo waved happily, calling him freely with the nickname Yamaguchi gave to him. 

Speaking of his friend, he wondered if Yamaguchi was doing fine. 

The duo that wore two matching jersey jackets walked up to him, Kuroo was waving in joy while Kenma kept his focus on his phone. Kei cleared his throat and stood up straight- as much as he hated socializing at the moment, they could help him in any way. 

“How’s your head?” Before Kei could react, Kuroo raised his hand and cupped the side of his face. Heat quickly covered his cheeks as soon as he felt Kuroo’s fingers plunge within his locks before pulling back with a smile on his face. 

Stunned, Kei tried his best to make out what Kuroo was blabbering about but his mind was still processing what just happened. 

Why did he just let Kuroo touch him so freely? And why was his heart beating rapidly against his chest as he stared at Kuroo’s moving mouth.

“Tsukki?”

“I’m lost.”

Both of them stared at one another, Kei feeling a little bit conscious because admittedly, being lost was so embarrassing on his part- it was stupid, getting lost in his neighborhood where he ‘apparently’ grew up in according to Akiteru. 

When Kuroo and Kenma didn’t let out a response to his statement, Kei just groaned and shook his head. He bowed at his two senpais. 

“I’m sorry but I need to go home.”

“Wait-” Kei paused as he felt Kuroo’s hand on his shoulder. 

Kei asked himself again why he wasn't flinching away? Especially when the Nekoma captain silently took two of the grocery bags off his arms and offered to escort him back home.

“Come on!”

“I-”

“Kuro,” Kenma interrupted as he looked up at Kei and Kuroo with a bored expression on his face, “I need to go. Tora and I will meet up in this new shop he saw yesterday.”

Kuroo nodded and bid goodbye to the setter, but not without giving him a teasing smile. As they watched Kenma’s fading back, Kei was once again nervous at the realization that he and Kuroo were alone together.

Kei was about to speak when Kuroo beat him to it, “You know, everyone was worried about you at practice,” Kuroo started and began walking- Kei skipping a little to follow him. “You didn’t answer my question earlier though, are you feeling fine?”

Kei remained quiet but stayed close to him.

“Yuki-kun saved you a copy of his notes, he’ll give it to you once you come back. And you know, it’s lucky we ran into you because since you were absent today, coach Nekomata held off afternoon practice. I feel like it’s still my—”

“I still don’t remember everyone.” Kei’s statement made the Nekoma captain stop walking. 

Kei wasn’t really that type of person to distinguish or care about how a person looked, but when he came face to face with Kuroo after what he just said, he couldn’t help but take note how they’re almost the same height, how Kuroo’s hair stuck out in a weird way, his almond eyes sharp and intimidating but still radiated kindness. 

Kuroo was an interesting person.

“So don’t expect me to just—”

“But you’re still you.” Kuroo cuts him off. 

Kei gave Kuroo a raised brow and wondered what he meant by that. Fortunately, Kuroo continued to walk and of course, Kei could only follow with his eyes glued on the captain. 

“You’re still that cold, shy first year to me. You may not remember everything yet, but your attitude and everything is still the same.”

“Kuroo-san…”

Kruoo beamed him a smile, “So let me help you, okay?”

And once Kei closed the door behind him with his groceries on the floor, he forgot to ask Kuroo on how the hell he knew where he lived.

~~☾~~

After two days spent laying around the house and contemplating his life, Kei finally had the guts to face the concrete sidewalk outside. These past two days went by in a blur. Kei was either looking through his phone, cleaning his room in hopes to see any proof of what was happening to him, ignoring Kuroo’s messages, and of course, talking to his brother. 

Akiteru was worried that Kei still wasn’t remembering stuff, and as much as Kei wanted to tell Akiteru what  _ he knew was real _ , he decided to hold back for a while- not wanting to worry his brother more. 

On the bright side, during his free time, Akiteru told him all about his childhood that’s basically the same one he had experienced, but the only difference was that there’s no Yamaguchi, or Karasuno. 

It’s like all of them were completely wiped off in existence. Later on, Kei searched about Karasuno after and yes, the school exists, and the Little Giant was real.

He and his brother weren’t just part of any of it. 

“You got your phone with you?” Akiteru asked once their car stopped in front of Nekoma High. Kei nodded, golden brown orbs focused on the countless students outside entering the said school. Honestly, Kei kind of felt a little off with wearing his school ‘uniform.’

“Yes, I’m off now…” Kei said as he opened the door and got out. His brother then instructed him one last time on how to get home before driving off. With a sigh, Kei turned to look at the big school in front of him, suddenly feeling all intimidated. 

Whatever’s happening to him- whether his life at Karasuno was a lie or if all of these was a dream - Kei just hoped no one would bother him through the day.

~~☾~~

After successfully avoiding running to any of his supposed teammates yesterday, Ke thought his luck would continue on the next day, however, as he quietly strolled out through the school grounds, Kei suddenly cringed when he saw none other than Kuroo standing by the gates.

He knew why he’s there. 

Having no way out, and that he couldn’t particularly hide himself from the crowd of students, Kei proceeded to walk towards the annoying captain- who gave him a smirk once he spotted him. 

“Tsukki!” Kuroo called out once he’s a foot away and Kei’s hands twitched. He wanted to grab his earphones badly and just ignore his senpai, but of course, Kei wasn’t capable of doing that. 

“I’m very disappointed with you. You haven’t attended morning and afternoon practice.”

“Kuroo-san, good to see you, too.”

Kuroo sighed and casually swung an arm around his shoulders while his other held his bag properly. “They all miss you, and coach is asking for you.”

“I’m sorry, Kuroo-san,” Kei said, trying to pry himself away from the other, but it seemed like the captain had other plans for his grip on him tightened, and the warmth he emitted somehow made Kei flustered. Kuroo’s face was leaning in a little too close to his cheeks, however, Kei was more stunned with himself when he didn’t do anything to push him away.

“I- I’m still not feeling well,” Kei reasoned out after, and fortunately, Kuroo decided that it was unfair of him to drag the tall blond out of the school. They stopped around a corner, away from the waves of students ready to go home. 

Kei fidgeted under Kuroo’s gaze as the Nekoma captain stood up straight with his arms crossed over his chest. 

“Hm, you still don’t remember?”

Kei’s eyes widened a little before looking away, nodding in agreement. He hated how Kuroo’s gaze was so intimidating, at the same time, irking. He honestly wanted to slap it off him, but he’s not that rude and Kuroo hasn’t done anything wrong. Yet.

But still.

How could someone like him so easily pull Kei out and pour everything that's on his mind as if Kuroo was reading him like an open book. 

“Well, since practice was once again cancelled because Lev is an idiot for some reason. Want to come hang out with us?”

“Us?” Kei lifted his head up and saw Kuroo smiling at him as he lifted his hand and pointed back. When Kei followed with his eyes, there he saw Kenma and someone Kei wasn’t familiar with, but guessing from the jersey he wore, he’s also from the team.

“The one with Kenma is Tora, our wing spiker.” Kuroo supplied as he looked back and called for them. When they were a foot away, Kuroo decided to put his arms around his shoulder once more, Kei not failing to notice Kenma’s tired eyes pointing sternly at the captain.

“So come on! We’re going to this café they went to yesterday, they said their cakes are delicious!” Kuroo grinned and pulled Kei closer.

Kei opened his mouth, about to decline because his brother would be picking him up but then paused when Kuroo said something unexpected. Something that made his heart beat rapidly against his ribcage.

“Kenma said they have strawberry shortcake, it’s your fave, right? My treat!”

Kei stared at Kuroo’s smiling face- how his hair bounced and stayed upward at every step they made, and how his arm was still around him. It frightened him, and at the same time, amused him at how Kuroo knew so much about him.

His home. His number. His likes.  _ How he knew Kei was avoiding practice. _

Was this really a dream or it’s his real-life that he had forgotten?

“Something on my face?” He didn’t even realize that they were now out of the school grounds and onto the sidewalk with Kenma and Tora in front of them- minding their own little world. 

Kuroo called out his name softly, Kei looked back at him and that’s when he too realized that their faces were so close that their noses almost bumped with one another.

And yet again, Kei didn’t push him away.

“Tsukki?” Kuroo called out, and Kei finally snapped out of his staring and quickly undraped himself away from Kuroo. “I—” He tried to speak out, hands trembling as he fixed his glasses while the other tried to fish out his phone from his pocket. “I’ll just—call my niisan, tell him to not pick me up.”

“Oh...”

Kei then snapped his head towards Kuroo. His gaze piercing but he was sure his face was probably painted red at how hot he felt all of the sudden. “You better take me home after,” Kei demanded.

“Of course.”

Something about that grin made Kei want to slap it off, but he ignored it and continued to follow Kenma and Tora, all the while, not minding Kuroo when the other started to tell how his day went.

~~☾~~

“Tsukki, how about tomorrow you can skip morning practice, but you’re required to attend afternoon practice.”

“No, thank you, Kuroo-san…” Kei said nonchalantly as he raised his fork towards his mouth as another wave of strawberry shortcake sweetness covered his taste buds. As much as he hated being dragged down to this café that took them twenty minutes of walking, Kenma was right, their strawberry shortcake was to die for.

And since Kuroo said he’s going to pay for it, Kei shamelessly ordered three pieces of cake, which the captain just laughed at. Kuroo even called him cute but Kei brushed it off with a scoff.

Who calls their kohai cute?

“Come on, you need to at least see us again? It will be good for you.” Kuroo said with a pout, hands covering the coffee cup he held as he gave Kei pleading eyes. 

Kei shook his head in return, taking another slice from the second strawberry shortcake he has, “Why do you think it’s good for me?”

“Maybe if you’ll get to see how good we are? I mean you’re our middle blocker,” Kuroo commented, one hand reaching up to take a swab of icing from his cake, but Kei was fast enough to gently slap his hand away which earned him a chuckle from the captain.

“Plus, it might trigger something in that pretty head of yours, you might remember me.”

Kei raised his brow, not because of Kuroo’s comment but because he specifically said ‘remember me’.

“Is there anything I need to remember you for?”

Kuroo’s smile flattened, eyes wide and cheeks painted with pink. The captain quickly composed himself after, clearing his throat in the process. 

“You might remember how awesome of a captain I am?”

Kei snorted as he shook his head in the process. The confidence the other had was baffling, but Kei wasn’t complaining. Kuroo’s attitude only adds more to his charm— Kei blinked, watched as Kuroo took a sip of his coffee while his mind processed his thoughts just now.

Did he just call Kuroo charming?

“Tsukki, just try. It won’t hurt and we won’t force you to join us if you’re still feeling unwell.”

For a while, Kei contemplated it. He still wasn’t over the fact that he’s not really from here- and that he shouldn’t be attached to any of them, but then again, there’s this nagging voice inside his head that told him to listen to Kuroo. 

To talk to him.

That maybe he could help him.

“Can I trust you?”

It was Kuroo’s turn to blink up at him confusedly. Kei was well aware that the question was a little off and all, but he couldn’t help to ask. He knew Akiteru couldn’t help him- his brother always pointed out that maybe he still wasn’t feeling well, and that he doesn’t really have many friends. Heck, he didn’t even know his classmates- well except one, Yuki. His classmate and teammate.

Maybe Kuroo would be able to help him.

“Of course,” Kuroo answered, his expression now serious. “I’m your captain, Tsukki.”

“What if I told you I don’t really have… amnesia?”

“So you’re just skipping out?”

“No,” Kei said as he put his fork down. He leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked Kuroo in the eye. When the other didn’t blink or look away, Kei cleared his throat.

“I’m not from here,” Kei started and waited for a reaction, but when he got none he continued, “I mean—this, all of this. There’s a reason why I can’t remember...”

“And that is?”

“I’m not from this—this reality. I’m from Miyagi!”

Kei paused, eyes scanning their environment once he realized he had raised his voice a little higher than intended. He cleared his throat once more, face heating up as the people around them went back to their own business. Kuroo, on the other hand, remained quiet but his eyes were glued on him.

Kei wanted to shout.

All those pent up emotions and confusions were rising up within him once more. He wanted to shout, wanted to curse someone.

He just wanted things to be normal again—he didn’t care anymore if he had to tutor Hinata and Kageyama again- just, please. Kei needed someone to keep him sane.

“The reason why I can’t remember is that I don’t have memories of all of you. I’ve never lived in Tokyo, I’m not enrolled in Nekoma High.”

“Then where are you from?”

Kei blinked, panting a little as he stared at Kuroo. Honestly, he expected the other to take him as a joke, but Kuroo’s question set him off. But then, Kuroo had always stunned him in some ways.

“Miyagi. Karasuno High…”

“Karasuno…”

Kei nodded as he gulped, waiting for Kuroo to say something, anything just to make his nervousness vanish. But when the other remained stoic as a minute passed by, Kei decided it would all be worthless.

His brother didn’t believe him- who was Kuroo to believe him also?

Standing up, he bowed to the Nekoma captain deeply. “Thank you for the treat, Kuroo-san, but I need to go home.” He then turned to look at Kenma and Tora’s table, both teens were looking at him and Kei felt ashamed at how bold he was currently acting. Kei’s letting his emotions and frustrations show, he didn’t like it one bit.

“Kenma-san, Tora-san, I apologize for leaving early but I need to go, please have a great time,” Kei said after he bowed, not failing to notice how both of their cheeks were a little red as they nodded at him. After that, Kei exited the shop. Didn’t even spared Kuroo a glance as he walked past him.

And as he stood under the waiting shed, he soon came to realize that he didn’t know yet how to return home on his own. Kei contemplated stopping a taxi, but his wallet complained to him when he opened it. He called his brother after, but sadly, Akitery said that since he wouldn’t be picking him up, his boss decided that he needed him for their meeting.

Embarrassed, Kei tried his best not to look back at the café behind him. He knew Kuroo would be looking out through the window, maybe giving him a smirk because he’s aware that he couldn’t go home on his own. It irked him, made him want to just hail a taxi, but before he could, he felt a nudge on his arm.

Kei snapped his head to the left, glaring at the said person who dared touch him but soon pouted when he saw it was Kuroo. He held, what looks to be, a take-out box from the café.

“It’ll be a waste if they throw it. Besides, I don’t eat sweets that much.”

Kei huffed but accepted the package,  _ not _ minding one bit how their fingers touched. Kuroo then cleared his throat, glancing down at his watch before looking at him again. “Read to go home?”

“Kuroo-san…”

“In your home. Here…”

Kei shuts his mouth, pouting a little bit. He heard Kuroo laugh but Kei chose to ignore him. 

“Would you like to take the bus or walk?” Kuroo questioned. 

“You don’t believe me, huh?”

A bus finally arrived and the people around them started to gather. When the bus doors opened, people started to go inside, but the two high school boys remained on their spot. Kei was looking down, obviously avoiding Kuroo’s eyes on him. 

And when the two teenagers were left alone, Kuroo finally spoke.

Kei won’t lie but Kuroo’s response kind of broke his heart. 

“Tsukki, you’re tired. Let’s go home,”

Kuroo reached out to touch his shoulders but Kei quickly stepped back, not forgetting to give the captain a disapproving look. “Don’t touch me,” Looking at the visibly hurt expression Kuroo made, Kei chose to ignore it as he remained in place, scowling at the road ahead of them.

“Tsukki…”

“I want to take the bus.”  
  


Twenty minutes later, Kei found himself staring outside the window with Kuroo beside him. Silence covered the duo as the bus passed by colorful establishments and offices. Kei badly wanted to apologize to Kuroo for being rude, but he just wasn’t feeling it.

He’s sad. The thought of Kuroo being his only last chance to stay sane— someone to rely on was gone. He knew it won’t be easy to believe him, heck he had started to doubt himself three days ago. It’s confusing and frustrating.

Kei just wanted to go  _ home. _

  
And as he walked up the stairs to their house, Kei looked back at Kuroo and saw the third year looking up at him with apologetic eyes. Kei bowed a little before turning around. 

“Thank you for today…”

“Please come to practice…’

Kei didn’t speak.

“Tsukki…”

“See you, Kuroo-san…”

~~☾~~

Another night had passed with Kei waking up in hopes to find himself in his true home. However, when he was greeted by concrete sidewalks and streets lined with unfamiliar houses, he found himself staring at his food during breakfast. 

Akiteru cooked eggs with furikake. He liked his brother’s cooking, it’s not too oily or salty, just the right amount of taste.

It made him remember his mother’s cooking. She always cooked him breakfast and his lunch. He remembered eating it with Yamaguchi, or whenever Hinata and Kageyama forced themselves to join in during lunch break. He remembered how his mother would always pack him an extra box so he could eat after morning practice.

He hated how he’s stressed right now as he recalled his teammates.  _ It’s just a club.  _ But it was his life he’s talking about.

“Kei, does your head still hurt?” Kei’s eyes went up and met his brother’s worried ones. He shook his head gently, feeling his stomach rumbling even though he didn’t have the strength to eat. “No, I’m fine—just, homework and all.”

“Hm, okay… eat up or it’ll get cold.”

After a few moments of silence with Kei forcing himself to eat, Akiteru spoke up once more, “Kei, I might not be able to pick you up later again, would you like to take the bus instead?”

“I-uh… okay. I have my phone so I think I can manage.”

“Please don’t hesitate to call me. Please.” Akiteru pouted, and for the first time, Kei smiled. He nodded, rolling his eyes at his brother. “If I get lost, I’ll call mom and tell her you abandoned me.”

“Kei! Please don’t.”

~~☾~~

His day went smoothly. Kei managed to avoid anyone he knew might be from the volleyball team, and that he had somehow made new friends from his class- but Kei still didn’t join them during lunch.

And so, dismissal passed by like a blur, and as Kei was about to leave the room he paused when he came face to face with the one and only Kuroo. The said captain was standing by the doorway. Some of his classmates were giving him odd looks because honestly, what would a third-year be doing here, right?

With a sigh, Kei made his way to the annoying captain and gave him the most bored expression he could muster.

“Kuroo-san, hello.”

“Tsukki, join us for practice?”

Kei’s lips formed a straight line when Kuroo gave him a pleading look. He looked stupid, Kei thought as he tried to avoid eye contact.

“I have homework.”

“Then I’ll help you after. Come on, please? You can just sit there if you like.” Kuroo then held his hand out, which resulted with Kei’s cheeks heating up.

What was he thinking? There were still students around and all of them were giving the both of them weird looks. Kei just huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “Kuroo-san, can you plea—”

“I’m sorry about yesterday. It was rude of me. I didn’t have the right to be like that to you.”

Kei stared at the Nekoma captain, keeping his mouth shut.

“Come on, Tsukki?”   
  


And that’s where Kei found himself seated by the bleachers, watching with keen eyes as his ‘team’ practiced away. His coach had talked to him when he arrived and asked about his well-being. Kei said he wasn’t really feeling fine yet, and fortunately, coach Nekomata didn’t question him further. Only wished him for a speedy recovery.

Kei blinked once he saw Kuroo block a spike from the opposing side. He had to admit though, Kuroo was good—no, the whole team was good. Even better than them. Their teamwork was amazing and it seemed like they didn't need much verbal communication.

Kenma, the quiet setter, was good and talented. He may look all frail but as he ran across the court, one would be amazed at how skilled he was.

But the thing was, as Kei continued to watch them in hopes he could remember something, he just couldn’t. No memories of him being in Nekoma resided, not even a small flashback. It’s all Karasuno. How he joined and saw Hinata and Kageyama. How his senpais welcomed him warmly even though he wasn’t that friendly at first. How they all dress up together in the boy’s locker room that reeked of Tanaka’s shoes.

He’s from Karasuno.

_ Not here. _

“Hey...” Kei’s eyes snapped up, his glasses a little askew as a sweaty Kuroo stood before him.

_  
_ _ I can’t remember anything. Even you. _

  
“You okay?” The captain asked as he offered Kei a water bottle, which the blond took with hesitations at first. Kuroo, who seemed to have noticed how dazed he was all of the sudden, reached out and touched his locks.

Kei’s eyes widened, hand coming up to swap Kuroo’s hand away but as soon as Kuroo smiled down at him, he paused mid-air. Heart beating loudly against his chest.

“Don’t stress yourself too much, Tsukki...”

“I still don’t remember you...” Kei closed his eyes when Kuroo decided to ruffle his hair in the process, practically destroying his combed hair. Kei complained, flailing his arms up but the older one only laughed in return, ruffling his hair harder.

It was when the game resumed that Kuroo had finally let him go. Kei huffed as he fixed his hair, cheeks flushed while avoiding the looks their teammates gave them after.

Kei resumed watching them once more, eyes following the ball, and admittedly, he enjoyed watching their game- the only thing that bothered him for a moment was that every time Kuroo successfully blocked or scored, he would glance back at him with a beaming smile.

Stupid Kuroo, and his stupid hair and smile.

~~☾~~

“So homework?” Kuroo asked once he exited the boys’ locker room all dressed up and smelling of cologne. He had his duffle bag on his other side so Kei could practically walk beside him. The time was seven in the evening, Kei stayed up and helped the team clean up the gym, which earned him a lot of thank you after.

And then half an hour later, Kei found himself once more inside the gym because Kuroo apparently left his towel and water bottle inside. As Kei watched Kuroo open the doors and the lights inside, he couldn’t help but to look around the spacious gym. 

It’s quite different from theirs- maybe because they had banners of Nekoma all over the vicinity, and their school color, plus the floor seemed to be polished every week. Kei then averted his gaze towards the bleachers where he had been sitting on earlier - abruptly remembering his moment with Kuroo.

Kei suddenly lets out a gasp in pain as he felt  _ something _ hit the back of his head. 

Anger seeped within the blond as he snapped his head towards Kuroo and saw the Nekoma captain looking innocently- as if he just didn’t throw a volleyball at him.

“What did you do that for?!” Kei shouted, his voice echoing through the empty gym. Kuroo shrugged, looking all smug as he continued his innocent act. 

But Kei wasn’t having any of it. The blond marched angrily towards the captain- who was saying his apologies that went on deaf ears. Kei was about to grab his collar when the captain said something unexpected.

“The last time before you forgot us, you were hit on the face, right?” Kuroo started as he took a step back, “what if I hit you, again?”

Kei blinked as his golden-brown orbs stared at Kuroo for a moment wondering if what he heard was real, if Kuroo was for real. But when the Nekoma captain didn’t falter, Kei knew Kuroo was serious. 

“Are you for real?”

“I’m trying okay!” Kuroo’s voice resounded through the empty gym and Kei stared, stunned at the sudden outburst. “I’m trying to help you, to believe and understand you, Tsukki…” 

“What?”

“I want to believe you, so- so the only thing I could think of is that, what if I hit you again on the face?”

Kei stared for a while, thinking how he had come to this point, and if Kuroo was seriously suggesting hitting him on the face because no matter how much Kei wanted to disagree, he wanted to try and see the results. 

It’s so stupid but what if it worked?

“Tsukki?”

“I hate how I want to agree with you…” 

Kuroo’s face lightened up and Kei could only groan in return.

“Why is it when I’m with you, I become stupid?”Kei asked as he bent down to pick up the fallen volleyball. He then tossed the ball to Kuroo’s direction, which the captain caught easily. 

“I feel stupid around you, too…” Kuroo agreed with a shrug. 

Both teenagers fell silent as Kei tried to register what Kuroo had just said. Once it sunk in, Kei cleared his throat and ignored how his cheeks felt hot all of the sudden. He avoided Kuroo’s eyes as he walked past him and towards the gym’s exit. 

“Tsukki?”

Kei paused and turned to look back at Kuroo, “It’s too late for that, let’s go home...”   


And as the two teenagers rode the bus quietly, Kei glanced out at the window, somehow getting used to the view of buildings with flashy lights. He’s still confused whether all of this was true, but the thought of Kuroo trying to understand him filled his heart. 

At least somehow he’ll feel sane with Kuroo beside him. 

“Kuroo-san, thank you…” He whispered and received a light nudge on his shoulder in return. 

~~☾~~

“I’m scared.” 

“Don’t be a baby.”

“But-”

“Freaking hell, Kuroo-san. Just hit me, nothing bad would happen- worst case scenario would be my nose-” Kei didn’t get to finish his sentence as a volleyball flew at his face, hitting him perfectly on his eyes and forehead. 

Saturday and Sunday flew by too quickly. Kei spent most of the weekend cooped up in his room while his brother either slept or worked from his laptop. Monday rolled in once again, and it was during lunch break when Kei went to the third year floor and asked for Kuroo to practice with him, and by practice meaning - hit him with a volleyball on the face. After a few minutes of sneaking one ball to the gym, Kuroo hesitated to hit him, afraid that it might hurt Kei further. 

“Oh my! Tsukki are you okay?” The Nekoma captain came running to him, knelt down beside the groaning blond as he tried to pry away Kei’s hand from his face. 

Kei blinked, tried to adjust his vision since he wasn’t wearing his glasses. When he heard Kuroo release a sigh of relief, he knew his nose wasn’t bleeding. 

Kuroo helped him up, offering his glasses after Kei regained his balance. 

“Are you okay?” The Nekoma captain asked again, his expression was wary. Kei nodded in return, dusting off his uniform from any dust. 

"Again."

The second hit landed on Kei's chin, the blond glaring a little at the captain for failing to hit him on the head. 

Another hit landed, this time on his forehead. The fourth hit landed on Kei’s shoulders. 

Needless to say, the throwing of volleyball continued on until Kuroo stopped Kei from injuring himself further. 

Was he really this desperate, Kei thought as he laid down on the wooden floor of the gym, closing his eyes as he panted, one hand holding his cheeks. His face had been struck about ten times, and honestly, Kuroo was holding back. His cheeks were sore, but they didn't hurt. 

Kei couldn't blame Kuroo though. Kuroo knew his idea was stupid and was probably already regretting suggesting it to him but it's the only possible solution Kei could think of, unfortunately. 

The blond then opened his eyes a little once he felt someone beside him. Kei looked to his left and saw an equally tired Kuroo laying on his back, eyes staring at the ceiling. Kei huffed, "You didn't hit hard enough..." 

"You were hurting, I couldn't do that to you…" Kuroo reasoned out and Kei only huffed tiredly, looking away once he saw how  _ sweaty _ Kuroo looked. 

"I just want to go home…" The blond whispered softly. 

Silence covered them for a while and Kei was wondering whether he should ask Lev to hit him or maybe Tora-

"Tsukki, what if you are home?" 

Kei slowly turned to look at Kuroo once more, and to his surprise, the captain wasn't even looking at him as he spoke again. "That Nekoma is your team, and you live in Tokyo and-" 

"Kuroo-san, I couldn't lie to myself," Kei answered, "I couldn't accept everything because I know everything isn't right." 

"Why can't you accept us?" 

Kei blinked, not expecting Kuroo to ask him that. For all the questions that didn't have any answers yet in his brain, this was the one he hadn't quite thought of yet. What if he really was from here? What if his Miyagi life was all a dream?

Why was he clinging to Miyagi and Karasuno so much when Nekoma, his brother, new friends, and Kuroo were here?

Kei then proceeded to sit up straight, at the same time, he felt his stomach rumble in protest. He turned to look down at Kuroo, who was still staring at the ceiling as if it's the most important thing there was. 

"Kuroo." 

"Go have your lunch, Tsukki. I'll clean up here." 

And as Kei went back up to his classroom, he couldn't help but feel the heaviness in his heart, causing him to lose his appetite. When it was finally time to go home, the weight in his chest still remained and Kei found himself grumpily stomping over the gym where he could hear squeaky shoes and hand slapping against synthetic leather. 

Needless to say, Kei's guilt had lessened when Kuroo beamed him a smile as he took a seat on the bleachers. And the occasional looks from the captain sent his stomach churning - in a good way. 

"Coach asked if you're okay there," Kuroo said once he walked up to him, all sweaty and panting, and Kei tried his best not to blush too hard- maybe it’s the heat inside the gym, Kei thought. 

"Yeah, I'm fine.." Kei replied, voice flat but Kuroo didn't mind it one bit as he reached out and ruffled Kei's hair. 

"He said don't be scared to sit beside him, and that you can join in any time!" Kuroo informed happily and removed his hand from Kei - which the blond suddenly missed. 

Practice went on smoothly until it was dark outside. They all cleaned up and Kei went home happily with Kuroo by his side. As the two teenagers waited for the bus, Kuroo suddenly gasped, making Kei jump up a little. 

"It's a holiday tomorrow, want to go somewhere?” Kuroo asked casually and Kei decided to put his phone down so all of his attention was on Kuroo. It wasn’t rare for Kuroo to ask him to hang out, he only asked if it’s after school- not like this. 

It’s not that Kei was uncomfortable with Kuroo, he was indeed intrigued and annoyed, but Kuroo is a nice friend. But now, as he glanced up at Kuroo, grinning up at Kei stupidly. 

“There’s this-”

“I’m sorry, I can’t leave,” Kei confessed, “I don’t want to actually.”

“Oh…” Kuroo only gave him a grin, but Kei knew behind that toothy smile was something else. Having been with Kuroo for a week, he somehow memorized his little mannerism. Kei knew if he’s upset, excited, or just plain dumb. 

Kei was about to speak when the bus arrived. 

~~☾~~

Fortunately, Kei would have the house to himself from morning ‘till Akiteru arrived in the evening, it may be a holiday to the students but not for Akiteru. 

And Kei, being that kind of teen that did their homework as soon as he arrived from school, Kei didn’t really have anything to do except to clean the house- but, admittedly, he felt too lazy to even move to clean up his room.

So Kei resorted to staying in bed and reading manga all morning until lunchtime came by with his stomach complaining to him all throughout while he was cooking his food. After that, he went back to lazing around but this time on the couch. 

He watched movies and shows, even played with his phone along the way, and when afternoon arrived, Kei woke up from the sound of their doorbell ringing. Startled and confused, Kei rose up from the couch - a little dizzy considering his nap disturbed. 

With a yawn, Kei looked through the little screen to see who's by the gates, and to his surprise, it was none other than Kuroo Tetsurou. 

Kei quickly wiped his face away from any sleepiness, rubbing his eyes and fixing his hair after. He then opened the door and walked down to the gates. 

"What do you want?" Kei asked as soon as he opened the gates a little. 

Kuroo beamed him a smile after, one hand holding onto his small bag while the other carried a plastic bag. The Nekoma captain raised the one that held the plastic bag, shaking it a little, "Care to accompany me at the park nearby? I promise I won't take you far away!" 

The way Kuroo smiled told Kei that the other was up for something mischievous, but his stomach was tempted to see what Kuroo had bought for them. With a huff, he told Kuroo to wait for a while as he needed to change his clothes. 

Kei found himself once more awed at Kuroo. They arrived at a park in less than ten minutes, and what do you know? There's a small park near their 'home' and it was lovely. Not many kids were present, considering that it was nearing five in the afternoon, and there were lots of trees and flower beds spread around.

Plus, Kuroo bought some interesting things. From yakisoba bread, banana milk, chips, and a convenient store-bought strawberry shortcake. 

"This might not be that good, but it's still strawberry shortcake." Kuroo reasoned out while he showed Kei the lone slice of cake. 

A comfortable silence covered them as they ate, Kuroo sometimes interjected with random stories or things he was seeing at the park. 

All in all, it was comfortable and Kei couldn't stop blushing when his eyes caught Kuroo's. 

Damn it, Kei thought, he shouldn't be blushing like a schoolgirl. 

"So Tsukki," Kuroo started once they had cleaned up their trash, compiling them in the small plastic bag from earlier. "I- tell me about Miyagi and Karasuno…" 

Stunned at the sudden question but flattered at the thought of wanting to try in believing him, Kei gave him a small smile as he looked out at the emptying park. 

"All my teammates are loud, especially Hinata and Nishinoya-san…" Kei remembered the time he first met his senpai, he was small and loud but a kind one. Heck, all of them were. "Daichi-san always reprimands Hinata and Kageyama that it has become a routine before going home. Sugawara-san helps me with blocking sometimes and that-" 

"You sound so fond of them," Kuroo commented, voice flat but Kei knew something was hidden into it. 

He looked back at the captain, caught him gazing at him as if what he said was something so surreal.

"I'm not lying…" 

"I know you aren't," Kuroo answered, "You're so sincere and calm, and as much as it pains me that you don't have that same calmness when it comes to my team-" 

Kei cringed a little at the  _ my team _ part.

"-but I want to believe you." Kuroo reached a hand out and to Kei's surprise, the Nekoma captain pushed away a strand of his hair that was out of place. "It's hard to believe, I admit, because I know you're part of Nekoma, of us since the beginning, but remember this Kei, you're forever welcome."

Kei released a sigh as he looked down, his fingers fidgeting with one another, "So you know…" 

"Yeah, it saddened all of us but we respect your decision." 

Two days ago, Kei had secretly approached coach Nekomata and asked if he could quit volleyball. The old coach was of course sad, and a tad bit disappointed but he let him go, told Kei that he could return anytime he wanted. Kei then requested not to tell the team yet, but he guessed Kuroo was the one who needed to know first before anyone else - he's the captain after all. 

"I'm sorry, Kuroo-san. I just couldn't pretend and it's hurting - I don't know who's hurting who but I just couldn't." 

Silence once again welcomed the two teenagers, who resorted to looking either up the darkening sky, or the kids leaving one by one. When it's only the two of them left in the park, Kuroo suddenly stood up and stretched - Kei averting his eyes elsewhere when Kuroo's shirt rode up, exposing a little of that tan skin. 

The Nekoma captain then held out his hand to the blond, "Let's play!" He ushered and Kei only gave him a confused look in return, "The swings! And the seesaws! Come on." 

With no chance to complain, the black-haired captain dragged Kei towards the center of the park, contemplating first whether they should try the seesaw first. After a couple of seconds, they resorted to sitting down at the swings. 

Kei sat still as he watched Kuroo trying to build up speed until the captain was swinging back and forth higher- but not enough to flip over. Both teens didn't talk, they just basked in each other's company while swinging away. Eventually, Kei too started to build up speed and found himself matching Kuroo's height. 

It's a weird and funny sight if one would see them. Two tall teenagers were playing in a park, but at this moment, Kei couldn't care less. 

They moved next to the seesaw and at first, it was awkward because their legs were too long to be sitting so low, but as soon as they started pushing and pulling each other up- Kei couldn't help but to release a laugh as he went up.

Kuroo's smile at him didn't go unnoticed after that. 

"Tsukki," Kuroo started as he panted a little. He was hanging by the monkey bars, that fortunately was high enough for their legs to not scrape on the ground below. Kei was at the side, watching him - didn't really feel like joining in. 

"In the life you remembered before all of this, do you know me somehow?" Kuroo asked casually as if he wasn't straining his arms.

It was a sudden question, really, but Kei kept his composure and answered him sincerely. 

"I only knew you by face. Nekoma came to Miyagi for a practice match and… And that's all I know of your team, of you.” Kei shrugged and watched as Kuroo jumped down from the climbing frame. “By the way, may I ask you something?” Kei asked.

Kuroo turned to look at him with a smile etched on his face, “Sure!”

“I’ve never questioned you about this but, before all of this- what do we have?” 

“W-what?!”

“I mean, are we good friends? Because I kind of find it amusing how a first-year like me is close to you, a third-year, and the captain of the team.” 

The face Kuroo made indicated that he was surprised at the question. Kei wanted to ask more but the Nekoma captain only looked at him shyly - which was another shocker for Kei - before Kuroo scratched the back of his nape as if he’s caught with something embarrassing. 

“We were…”

“I can’t help thinking how you know so much about me,” Kei commented as he politely replaced Kuroo’s position under the monkey bars, putting his hands up to test his grip on the metal above.  “I mean, what are we, huh? I’m just that first year. I’m not important.” Kei asked nonchalantly before pulling himself up, testing it if his grip would slip before slowly moving forward. 

Kuroo didn’t talk after, just resorted to watching Kei maneuver himself forward to the end of the bar before turning around to go back where Kuroo was. 

“Kei...” Kuroo called out all of the sudden and it caused Kei to pause- almost slipping, however, he didn’t pay much attention to it as his wide golden orbs stared at Kuroo surprisingly. 

Did he just call him by his first name?

Kei was about to speak up when Kuroo said something after that stunned him to no end. 

“The reason for all of it was because I like you. I confessed to you and then just-”

Before Kuroo could finish his sentence, Kei’s world spun as his grip on the monkey bar loosened and he found himself looking at the dark sky after, vision getting blurry by the second, and before everything went dark the last thing he saw was Kuroo’s worried face. 

~~☾~~

The first thing Kei noticed when he woke up was the smell of alcohol and bleach. He groaned, squinting his eyes as he tried to process where he was. When Kei finally managed to open his eyes fully, he was once again greeted by rows of bed beside him. 

Confused, Kei tried to sit up straight but failed to do so as his arms ached all over - especially his head. 

“Tsukishima! You’re awake!” A loud voice echoed throughout and Kei winched, ears ringing at the sudden loud noise. Footsteps followed soon and Kei was quick enough to open his eyes and glared at whoever dared to-

Kei blinked, looking at the people in front of him stupidly as if they all had two heads attached to them. He was only cut off from his stupor when Sugawara helped him wear his glasses. 

As his vision cleared, he saw everyone from his Karasuno team looking at him worriedly. 

“Wha…” But the only thing on Kei’s mind was where the hell was Kuroo?

Wasn’t he at the park with him? 

Kei quickly snapped his head to the window and was welcomed by warm sunlight peeking through the glass panes. 

_ Was he... _

“Are you feeling okay, Tsukishima?” Sugawara was the first one to speak as he neared the tall blond, pressing a gentle hand against his forehead. Yamaguchi then came in the picture and helped him up- adjusted the pillows around him after. 

At this point, everything was just like déjà vu, but the only thing missing was-

“Oh, he’s awake!” A nurse called out as she peeked from the curtains. She beamed Kei a smile before sauntering in to check his temperature and vision. 

“How are you feeling? What do you remember?” She asked casually as she flashed a light at Kei’s eyes. 

Kei hissed under his breath, but managed to answer after she was done. 

“I- I was at the monkey bars and-”

“Monkey bars?” Kageyama and Hinata said in unison, and all of his ‘teammates’ glanced at him worriedly. The nurse then cupped his cheeks and made Kei look at her straight in the eyes. After a few more examinations, she said that his mom would pick him up and suggested he go see a doctor after. 

“Tsukki, you don’t remember what happened?” Yamaguchi questioned once all the third years left him alone- wishing him well as they left. The second years gave him a pat - Kei holding back a groan as Nishinoya and Tanaka’s slap on his back was a little too hard, and now it was only him with Kageyama, Yamaguchi, and a fidgeting Hinata. 

“I-” Kei started, “Am I back?”

“What do you mean, Tsukki?” Kei stared at his friend for a long moment because, to be honest, he missed him. Kei wasn’t really the affectionate kind of friend but this was something else. He hadn’t seen his friend for almost a week.

“Am I back? Am I from Karasuno?”

“Tsukishima is scaring me.” Kei clearly heard Hinata and snapped his gaze towards him. 

“You!”

“I’m sorry okay!” Hinata shouted, his whole body shaking as he profusely bowed at Kei’s direction. “I didn’t mean to hit you in the face! Kageyama was bothering me and my spike went off and I didn’t see you there! The next thing I know was that you’re on the ground and please don’t hurt me.” 

Hinata was panting heavily at this point. Kei wanted to laugh, but the only thing on his mind was that he’s back. 

_ Hinata got lucky because Kei’s just too happy right now that he’s back.  _

“Yamaguchi, what day is it?” Kei asked as he turned to look at his friend. When Yamaguchi answered him, it honestly felt like heaven to Kei’s ears. 

It was still the same day he woke up at Nekoma. So that week didn’t happen, it was all a dream his weird brain had come up with. 

Seconds later, his mother finally arrived and Kei was given the excuse to skip practice as his mom drove him to the nearest hospital. 

It was like he’s playing the happenings earlier on repeat once more, but instead of colorful billboards and establishments, Kei was greeted with trees and mountains, and the fields. The trip to the doctor was quick, they didn’t need to do a CT Scan on him and just ordered Kei to rest for a while. 

And as he arrived at his  _ original _ home, he couldn’t help but think of Akiteru. 

“Want me to reheat the fish for dinner?” His mother asked sweetly and Kei gave a light nod before thanking her. 

After he was done bathing and setting himself comfortable in his clothes, he sat by the study table with his phone in hand. Again, it was still the same, everything was the same. The only difference was the view outside his window. 

All trees and familiar houses. 

Kei didn’t know how long he had been staring at his phone, or why his fingers were moving on his own but he found himself looking outside the window, phone pressed against his ears as he waited for the other line to pick up. 

_ “Hello?” _ His brother answered after two rings. 

“Hey…” 

_ “Oh, Kei! Why did you call? Something wrong?” _

Nothing was wrong, Kei thought. He wanted to say something, anything to not keep Akiteru waiting. But when his brother called out for him once more, Kei blurted out something he wasn’t expecting from himself. 

“I miss you, nii-san.” 

Needless to say, they talked through the phone for half an hour until his mother called him for his late dinner. 

  
~~☾~~

The next day, Kei surprisingly attended morning practice, but due to his accident yesterday, he wasn’t required to participate, so Kei used his free time to just observe everything. 

He couldn’t believe that he’s back and that week he spent at Nekoma felt so real- it’s kind of crazy. Admittedly, whether everything was real or not, Kei enjoyed his brother’s company, even though Akiteru was such a worry rat. He also enjoyed the peace he got during lunchtime and of course, his classmates and some newfound friends. 

But Kei did miss Karasuno. The interior of their gym, the loudness of Hinata and Nishinoya combined, that unique smell the boys' locker room only had. 

And as he watched them practice- with the usual banter from Hinata and Kageyama, he couldn't help but miss something- like Lev’s continuous apologies whenever he failed to block a spike, or Kenma’s moments where he would sometimes hide beside Kei at the bleachers in hopes to skip warm-ups, and Kuroo-

Kei's heart suddenly skipped a beat. 

"Tsukki!" Yamaguchi called out as he walked towards the blond. Kei didn't even notice they were finally done with morning practice, too busy thinking about what had happened to him.

"Hey." Kei greeted back and stood up, his bag already in his hand. 

"I'll just change and then we'll go to class!" 

Well, at least nothing changed around here since his bizarre experience in Tokyo. 

~~☾~~

It's been three days since Kei was back to normal and honestly at this point, he felt like his time in Tokyo was plainly a dream. A dream that felt so real, he couldn’t help but hope to see Kuroo appear every time he exited the gates of Karasuno. 

It was silly, however, whenever he thought of that time at the monkey bar- the worried face of Kuroo entering his vision - he wanted to say something. Sure, he was taken aback by the information Kuroo gave him. 

But what did it mean? 

Surely his brain liked to play tricks on him, and Kei wasn’t liking it one bit. 

But the thought of Kuroo liking him did send butterflies in his insides.

“Someone called us today,” Their faculty advisor, Takeda-sensei, said as all of them huddled in the middle of the court. Kei, on the other hand, remained by coach Ukai’s side since he still wasn’t permitted to join the practice because one, his mother was worried, and two, the school required it. It sucks though because Kei badly wanted to participate but all he could do was to follow orders. 

“It’s coach Nekomata! They’ll be visiting once more for a practice match. Apparently, Nekoma was granted…” 

Kei blinked rapidly as the rest of what his sensei was saying went to deafened ears because the only thing that’s ringing in his mind was Nekoma. 

Nekoma, from Tokyo. 

They’ll be coming here. 

Nekoma. 

_ Kuroo-san.  _

“They’ll be here tomorrow afternoon, and since it’s Friday tomorrow, they’ll be able to practice with us until Saturday…”

And as Takeda-sensei dismissed all of them, Kei stood awkwardly outside the gym, letting the wind hit his face as he waited for Yamaguchi to finish up changing. He lets out a sigh, suddenly feeling all confused as to why he’s feeling so tense. 

What happened to him wasn’t real, meaning Kuroo didn’t really have feelings for him, right? They only met once when Nekoma came to Miyagi for the first time, plus they didn’t even interact much. 

So why was he so nervous?

~~☾~~

The next day rolled in a little faster than Kei had anticipated. He couldn’t keep calm, to be honest. His leg kept bouncing during class, he didn’t get to eat much during lunch, and at one point, his teacher called him out for staring outside the window for a long time. It was embarrassing and Kei hated feeling this way. 

It was just Nekoma! It’s not as if he was really there - that he lived in Tokyo with his brother. It’s not as if he  _ really  _ spent an afternoon with Kuroo at a coffee shop. 

Kei huffed, ruffling his hair in the process as he and Yamaguchi walked towards the gym. Sadly, he still wasn’t allowed to participate, but according to his mother and Takeda-sensei, he’ll be able to play next week. 

But he still could watch the practice match. 

Another thing was that he could skip watching the practice match but here he was, heading for the bleachers as his teammates got ready in welcoming Nekoma. 

Once the bus parked just outside of their gym, Kei stood back and eyed his teammates who were enthusiastically greeting every member from Nekoma. 

He saw Kenma, Tora, Yaku, and the others. When Kenma approached him, Kei thought the setter would say something regarding that odd  _ dream _ he had, but the setter just bowed politely at him. 

When Kuroo came into the view, Kei’s heart drummed violently against his chest as memories of that week he spent at Tokyo came flashing before his eyes. 

Kuroo still looked the same. Still sported that familiar irking smile, the gravity-defying hair, and of course, how he had this aura of kindness and confidence in him. Sadly, Kei didn’t give Kuroo a chance to talk to him as he took a seat on the bleachers once more and proceeded to do his homework. He knew coach Ukai would tell them about his situation, he didn’t need to be there to explain to them- he’s not that important.    
  


The practice match was intense. Kei had guiltily abandoned his homework and kept his eyes on the match going on. Of course, Nekoma was still winning- Karasuno still lacked that teamwork Nekoma had. But all in all, even though Nekoma won the first round, Kei was still happy for his team. 

Before the second round rolled in, they were all given a five-minute break. Kei then took this opportunity to bury himself in his books once more, not wanting to start up any weird conversations and to also not to catch Kuroo’s gaze. 

Kei wasn’t sure if his eyes were playing tricks on him, but he once caught Kuroo looking at him when the Nekoma captain did a magnificent spike. 

With his nose scrunched up, Kei focused on his history book when he felt a light tap on his shoulder. He snapped his head up, expecting Yamaguchi to ask him if he was doing alright, however, he was greeted by someone he wasn’t expecting. 

Kuroo Tetsurou was smiling down at him. Pearly whites beaming, and even though he’s literally covered in sweat, he still looked…

“Hey!” 

A water bottle was presented in front of him, and Kei could do nothing but to gape dumbly. 

It felt like this had happened before and the way Kuroo looked at him sent shivers down Kei’s spine- in a good way. 

“It’s for you, take it!” Kuroo nudged the bottle softly and Kei took it with shaky hands. He cursed internally, not understanding why he was trembling all over with just Kuroo’s presence near him. 

“Are you okay?” Kuroo asked and Kei honestly felt so exposed when Kuroo roamed his eyes all over him. “I heard you hurt your head?”

Kei looked up, opened his mouth to reason out that he’s fine- that Hinata was just being careless and it’s not as if he was hit by a car. However, he froze when Kuroo’s hand was on his temple as his thumb caressed his hair softly. 

And Kei willingly lets him do it. 

Kuroo was smiling at him as he did so - so warm and vibrant - and then he moved his hand over Kei’s locks and gently ruffled them. Like how he used to do. 

“Too bad we can’t play together,” The Nekoma captain started as he pulled back, Kei shameless admitted to himself that he missed the warmth of Kuroo’s calloused hand. “But better be safe than sorry, huh?”

“I remember you...” Kei said, his golden-brown eyes glued on the Nekoma captain. He then smiled, “You’re the captain, right?”

“Ah- yes…” Kuroo stuttered a little, Kei not failing to notice how Kuroo’s cheeks turned pink. Kei chuckled, feeling all funny in his stomach as Kuroo’s coolness from earlier disappeared. 

“You’re… Tsukishima Kei?”

“Hm? I’m surprised you know me.” Kei then patted the space next to him gently, and Kuroo gladly took a seat beside him. 

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“I’m not that important.”

Kuroo frowned, stunning Kei a little bit. “Who says? You’re Karasuno’s middle blocker. You’re important,” He then grinned at Kei, “Middle blockers rule the game, you know?”

Both teens chuckled, at the same time, the whistle blew indicating that the practice match was once again to resume. Kuroo stood up, stretched his legs a little before peeking back at Kei, “I was so waiting to play with you again.” 

“How about later on?”

Kuroo paused, arms dropping on his sides as he looked at Kei dumbly.

Kei inhaled deeply, fighting off the urge to shake as he felt his face heating up once he met Kuroo’s almond-shaped eyes. “I- I can show you this- uhm, a park that has a wonderful view over the-”

“I would love that,” Kuroo beamed him a smile, face as red as Kei. “You better keep your promise later!”

Kei shook his head while laughing and shooed Kuroo away gently. 

And as the game resumed, Kei couldn’t help but feel all giddy as Kuroo kept looking towards his direction every time he scored. His team was losing, Kei didn’t mind- for now. At least Kuroo’s gaze was on him again, like how he used to do. 

And Kei would make sure he won’t bump his head again, afraid to lose what’s in front of him now.

**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos are much loved! i hope the prompter would love this :p
> 
> (ngl, i thought this fic would end up around 2k to 3k, but what do you know, it's 13k haha, this was so fun to write! the prompt is so cool)
> 
> thank you for this event and for everyone in it :)


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